“This is a blanket violation of the spirit of the Constitution, of the non-reelection clause (against a president),” Villanueva said in a news conference at the Manila Hotel Tuesday.

He said the spirit of the 1987 Constitution provision that barred a president from seeking “any re-election” was to stop the highest official of the land from using the vast resources of the government against political rivals in an election.

“I hope someone will question that and that the Supreme Court will clarify that question about the violation of the spirit of the constitution,” added Villanueva, who is making a second bid for the presidency under his Bangon Pilipinas political party.